Groundpounders
by Dijkman
Summary: Ever wondered how it would be to be an infantry men in a universe dominated by Battlemechs. This is a possiblity.


*PERDONAL LOG - private 1st class, 22th Infantry, 1st SST Assault Unit. 1 January 3058. *  
  
It's been several days since my outfit was deployed at the Northern Arctic regions of Xion I. Why we are to freeze our butts off at this remote section of Xion is a complete loss to me, but command is supposed to know best . or was that CovIntel. damn who cares! It's cold! And the assignment stinks!  
  
At least we've got some decent back up this time; a full mech company. Even though consisting primarily out of IS chasis it keeps my morale at least somewhat up. Possibly because the pilots are chairing their liquor with us groundhuggers. It could have been worse I suppose.  
  
//3th January 3058, 24:30 hours.\\  
  
Jenny of the second platoon spotted a drive plume off a dropship entering a lower orbit. I have a bad feeling about this. Speculation was the order the rest day. From which faction would the dropship belongs to? or was it one of ours? We'll find out I suppose.  
  
//4th January 3058, 08:00 hours.\\  
  
I'm writing this in a hurry, need to move out with the rest of the unit. It's the MoC paying us a visit, could've known that. They've stepped up anti- pirate activities these past months, and apparently we are their prime target. We'll provide basic infantry cover to any retrieval activities or help the salvage crew in a win. This will be my first fight at this unit. Hope it works out okay. I'll finish this log later. I hear the sergeant yelling my name.  
  
/08:30 hours.\  
  
A brief pause, as we wait for the rest of the column to arrive. Our Harasser was the first to reach Nav Alpha. I hear, and see, a lot of explosions and laser fire at Nav Gamma, 14 clicks away. Apparently the mechs made contact.  
  
--- The rest of the column has arrived. Time to head out to Nav Gamma, full speed!  
  
/09:00 hours.\  
  
Terrain conditions or lousy, to say the least, a snowstorm makes visibility  
  
less then 20 metres. We've been ordered, along with 2 other Harassers to head to Nav Gamma as fast as possible.  
  
/09:05 hours.\  
  
I feel sick. just as we we're approaching Nav Gamma we stumbled upon a MoC recon unit. I don't know who was more surprised we, are they. Radar has been flaky in this snowstorm. We stared at each other for ages, or at least that's how it seemed, I don't know who fired the first shot but it set out the fire exchange actions of the following minutes.  
  
I followed the sergeant along with some people from 1st platoon as we hopped of the Harasser, pushing to the MoC positions.  
  
Pulseblasts and machinegun bullets screamed past my head taking down the sergeant, he didn't even scream. The second who was hit was a young woman from the first platoon, I still can't remember her name. I turned my head to see who was following me and saw her head blasted right off her torso by a pulse laser salvo. I felt like I would throw up as I saw her headless body made a few more passes before slamming into the snow, blood pouring out of the main actuary. When would they hit me!  
  
/09:06 hours.\  
  
Contact! Me and 3 others made contact with some MoC infantry men. The ensuing fight was short and brutal. I shoved my bayonet in the first Infantry men I encountered. I'll never forget his face as he dropped his pulse rifle and stared at bayonet, which cut open his stomach, before staring into my eyes. The shock, pain and realisation that he would die plain to see in his wide opened eyes. He moved his mouth just like to ask me why HE! had to die, but only blood poured out. He was probably only 20, not a lot older then me. I pulled the bayonet out of his belly and shot him quickly through the head ending his pain.  
  
As I looked around it was clear the fight was over, one of our Harassers was burning 4 causalities (33% of my platoon), while the MoC had retreated the scene, leaving behind the burning carcass of a Condor and 8 dead. I looked at the body of the soldier I killed only moments ago, his blood turning the snow red. I felt like throwing up as we quickly buried the dead.  
  
i09:10 hours.i  
  
Nav Gamma, a victory with no loss of human life. Salvage would be glad; several chassis looked quite salvageable. I looked up at a Black Knight as it hovered over the remains of a sunder, trying to forget my first fight. Only a few minutes had past. But I knew, deep in me heart, that I will never forget this day! I'll never know those people who died; the sergeant,  
  
that female soldier even that MoC soldier. Why? To young. how many must we kill to be accepted? How long before they will take my life?  
  
*END LOG 4th January 3058.* 


End file.
